Vinicius Jr will not step on the red carpet in Paris, which tonight hosts the 68th Ballon d’Or gala. The Brazilian player, one of the main favorites to win the award, has not traveled to the French capital after Real Madrid found out this Monday that its star striker would not be the winner of the trophy, as EL PAÍS learned from club sources. Vini will not be at the ceremony, but neither will Dani Carvajal, another of the finalists for best player, nor Carlo Ancelotti, candidate for best coach. Real Madrid thus rejects the organization of the event, in which one of the most relevant prizes in football is awarded, considering it unfair that the winner is not either of its two footballers.
The white team’s expedition was scheduled to travel to Paris early in the afternoon, but canceled its trip. The club has even studied internally that Emilio Butragueño, Real Madrid’s director of institutional relations, travel to the event, although it was the institution itself that confirmed that “no one” from the club would travel to France.
Madrid has explained its reasons internally and, at the same time, has assumed that the winner would be the Spanish Rodrigo Hernández, Manchester City’s midfielder. “If the criteria of the award do not proclaim Vinicius the winner, those same criteria must proclaim Carvajal the winner. Since this has not been the case, it is obvious that the UEFA Ballon d’Or does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid is not where it is not respected.”
This is not the first time that a candidate has not attended the awards ceremony, which is officially announced at that very moment, despite the fact that for years it has been very difficult to control leaks to the press. One of the most recent and striking cases was the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2019 edition.the one that elevated Leo Messi as the most awarded footballer. That year he won his sixth Ball. And two more would still arrive. CR7 stayed at five and felt that justice had not been done to him that season.
Tonight, in the midst of Madrid’s controversial and angry reaction, the Teatro du Châtelet in Paris will honor the best player of the year, a recognition awarded by a hundred journalists. Among the finalists (and favorites), in addition toVinicius Jr.winner of the League and the Champions, being the MVP of the highest European competition, Jude Bellingham stands out (with the same titles as Vinicius and finalist of the last Euro2024), the player of the Manchester City Rodri Hernandez —winner of the Premier League and the European Championship with Spain— and Carvajal who, in addition to winning team titles, was the best player in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund.
In the female category, five Spaniards aspire to the award – Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Salma Paralluelo, Patri Guijarro, Mariona Caldentey -, although the favorites are Bonmatí and the Norwegian Barcelona player Caroline Graham Hansen. The Yashin trophy (given to the best goalkeeper) is very close. He Athletic’s Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón He is among the 10 candidates to win the award. Other nominees with options are Madrid’s Ukrainian goalkeeper Lunin, Dibu Martínez, Valencia’s Mamardashvili and Donnarumma.
In the coaches category, three Spaniards are nominated: Pep Guardiola, Xabi Alonso and Luis de la Fuente. The other three are Ancelotti, Gasperini (Atalanta) and Scaloni. Among the favorites are Alonso (won the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal with Leverkusen), De la Fuente (won Euro2024 with the national team) and Ancelotti (winner of the League and Champions League).
